


The Coupon

by TwoGunRose



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward Flirting, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fireman, First Meetings, Inspired by Game of Thrones, Romance, Shyness, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-12 15:48:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29138091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwoGunRose/pseuds/TwoGunRose
Summary: Sansa Stark frequents her favorite cafe every day for lunch. Once a week, on a Thursday, she sees a face that quickly becomes familiar. When a small piece of paper accidentally falls out of his wallet, the two strangers develop their unusual relationship from a distance.
Relationships: Sandor Clegane & Sansa Stark
Comments: 4
Kudos: 17





	The Coupon

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first one-shot / short story. It is based on a strange dream I had.

The diner was small, cozy, and retro. Unlike most of North Chicago’s trendiest bistros, it wasn’t modern or hip, not like the places that Sansa's friends and co-workers liked to eat. That's why she enjoyed it so much. The whole point of getting out of the office at lunch was to have an hour away from the people she spent her entire day with.

Sansa slid across the red vinyl booth seat. The table was Formica edged with chrome and there was a miniature jukebox on the table that probably hadn't operated in decades. The floor tiles were white and black checkered. The rest of the decor hinted at an era of simpler times, good music, and good feelings.

Even the menu made Sansa feel nostalgic - apple pie, cherry phosphate, patty melts, steak and eggs, and corned beef hash. Sansa picked up the menu and gazed longingly at it even though she already knew what she was going to have. She really wanted the messy biscuits with sausage gravy, but a meal like that was a heart attack waiting to happen. That was what killed her father and so Sansa was trying to eat a little healthier. She ordered the Cobb salad with iced tea.

With her hands clasped neatly in front of her, Sansa watched out the window as the world passed by. Most often, Sansa ate alone, so this was her quiet time to reflect, observe and contemplate her life's choices. Once a week, when her mother was free for lunch, Catelyn would join Sansa and they would catch up. Sansa never knew which day of the week that would be. It always depended on her mother's schedule. Catelyn always seemed to be working at some volunteer function or charity.

Today, however, Sansa was alone and her thoughts turned toward her not-so-romantic-past. She'd had several bad experiences in a row and felt it was time to be on her own for awhile. Perhaps it was fate's way of telling Sansa that she needed to develop more of a sense of herself, and figure out how to live without a man in her life.

One thing Sansa conceded, was that she needed to be happier. She needed some adventure and spontaneity. Sansa was aware that there was rarely a genuine smile on her face and she wanted to change that. The only smiles she ever encountered seemed to be phony - the whole world was phony - and Sansa was tired of it.

When her meal came, Sansa chewed slowly, staring out the window as she ate. She wished something interesting would happen. It didn't necessarily have to happen to her, maybe just near her so that she could at least be a witness to some excitement for a change.

Sansa dabbed at the corners of her mouth with her napkin. As she leaned into her straw to sip her tea, a very large man approached the end of her table as he made his way to the cash register near the front window. He paused beside her table as he pulled his wallet out of his jacket pocket and leafed through it for the cash he would use to pay his bill.

The man was massive - more than six feet tall - dressed in navy blue work pants, light blue oxford shirt, and black leather shoes with hard thick soles. When she scanned upwards and noticed his matching navy blue work jacket with shoulder flashes, Sansa realized he was a fireman. He didn't wear a hat, but had longish hair that hung down beside his face as he searched through his wallet.

The man finally located a ten dollar bill and pulled it free. As he did, another piece of paper slipped away from the leather folder. The light square of newsprint flittered to the ground beside Sansa's table. The man never noticed it. As soon as he pulled out the cash, his head was up and he was striding toward the cash register.

Sansa scooted across the worn bench seat and leaned down to retrieve the abandoned piece of paper. It was a coupon for a percentage discount for perennials at Anna's Flowers 'N' Things. Sansa sat back on her booth seat and waited until the fireman was finished his transaction. When he turned around, Sansa waved the coupon in the air to get his attention.

"Sir! Excuse me! This fell out of your wallet."

The fireman looked up suddenly. This was a fireman, Sansa realized, that knew the true danger of flames. Because of the way he’d hung his head, with his hair obscuring the right side of his face, Sansa hadn’t been able to see his burns. The right side of his face was covered in a web of scar tissue. The thin papery skin covered the side of his neck and the entire right side of his face. His chin was covered by a neatly trimmed beard that was interrupted only by tiny rivulets of rigid tissue where the two intermingled at the bottom of his cheek. The scarring extended up the side of his face to his temple and across his forehead. An eyebrow was missing where the tissue drooped over his right eye causing him to appear either perpetually sad or constantly annoyed. Under his limply hanging hair, Sansa could see that most of his right ear had deformed into a twisted floret.

The fireman's mouth hung slack as he gazed at Sansa. A quick look in his wallet confirmed that the coupon was indeed his. Sansa noted the flush in his cheeks as he looked up again. Was he embarrassed to admit that such a manly man as himself had a coupon for flowers? Was he embarrassed by his disfigurement? Or was there some other reason?

The man looked hesitant, perhaps uncertain about how to proceed. He glanced quickly at his watch. After a long moment and a deep breath, he forced the corners of his mouth into a reluctant, conciliatory smile, nodded subtly, and left.

Sansa looked closer at the coupon. The blooms in the photo were colorful and delicate. She knew that Anna's Flowers was a bit on the pricey side, but that's because Anna's plants were of superior quality. The coupon was only good for a few more days.

_Maybe I need a little more color in my life_ , Sansa thought. After all, she _had_ wanted to make more use of her apartment balcony. Perhaps a couple of window boxes with some vibrant blooms would help her ease out of this deep funk she'd found herself in lately. And besides, Sansa reminded herself that she'd promised to be more spontaneous.

She wouldn’t be able to visit Anna’s Flowers today. It was Thursday and Sansa had to return to work after lunch. But Friday was a holiday and Anna’s would be open for business. She tucked the coupon into her wallet and began to write a list of flowers she might like.

* * *

The next time Sansa saw the fireman was the following Thursday. When she arrived for lunch, she noticed the man sitting alone in the far corner booth with his back to the rest of the diner. Sansa took her usual seat in her regular booth. She smiled to herself as she thought of the beautiful abundance of flowers that now graced her balcony. The tiny outdoor space had been drab and dreary before, but now she had a very good reason to sit out there and enjoy it. If she'd known that the fireman would have been here again today, she might have brought along a fresh cut bloom as a way of thanking him for making that tiny difference in her life.

Sansa laughed at herself and shook her head. If she did that, he'd probably think she was one of those crazy cat ladies, or a desperate and lonely 30-something who mistook romantic comedies for real life. She dismissed her silly fantasy and ordered a healthy clubhouse sandwich for lunch.

When the waitress came and asked if she was enjoying her lunch, Sansa looked up and nodded. It was then that she noticed the fireman at the cash register paying for his meal. As he turned, stuffing his change back into his wallet, he caught Sansa's gaze. She felt the corners of her mouth naturally draw upward. He smiled slightly, a little more genuine than last time, nodded to her, and timidly hurried away. As he turned to leave, Sansa noticed the absence of a wedding ring on his left hand.

_Stop it!_

Sansa admonished herself for forming such adolescent hopes based on the placating smile of a total stranger. She took a deep breath, reminded herself that this wasn’t how real life worked and got up to pay her tab. Real life was waiting for her three blocks away and the office gossip mongers would be there to remind her of it.

* * *

It was Thursday again. Holding her breath and praying she wasn't about to look like an idiot, Sansa opened the door to the café and stepped inside. She scanned the heads of the other patrons and noticed the fireman sitting in the same spot as before, back turned to the crowd, seated in the farthest booth in the corner. As soon as she saw him, she lost her nerve.

She was behaving like an old maid with silly schoolgirl fantasies who’d seen _Sleepless In Seattle_ one too many times. Feeling the burn high on her cheekbones, Sansa fled into the safety of her established routine.

Slipping into her regular booth, Sansa placed a tiny bouquet of flowers on the table across from her. She fretted over what to do with them. Now that she was actually sitting here, it seemed such an absurd idea that she would give a bouquet of flowers to a stranger - especially to a man who'd seemed embarrassed about having the coupon in the first place.

Sansa ignored the flowers as she ate her cottage cheese with mixed fruit and sipped her lemon water. When it came time for the fireman to leave, Sansa restrained herself from pushing the bouquet off the edge of the table and onto the seat across from her. She lifted her chin, determined to face the situation with maturity. If he saw the flowers, so be it. Sansa had experienced much worse embarrassment than that in her life.

From the corner of her eye, Sansa watched as he turned from the cashier, slid his change into his wallet and glanced up in her direction. Sansa felt the flush return to her cheeks as his eyes flicked toward the clutch of flowers. His gaze met hers and Sansa observed as his mouth scrunched to the side in a suppressed grin. It wasn't a cruel grin, not as though he were laughing at her. Instead, it was a connection between two very shy people who shared a secret. Sansa could feel her own smile attempting to burst wide across her face, but she reined it in. The fireman nodded to her, more noticeably this time, and hurried on his way after checking the time.

* * *

From Monday through Wednesday of the following week, Sansa found herself counting down the days until Thursday. She anticipated seeing the fireman but was at a loss as to how to continue their distant interaction. The flower coupon had provided them with an opportunity to interact. She didn't want to make use of the flowers again - that would get old and stale quickly. All she could hope was that another opportunity would present itself in the same manner that the wayward flower coupon had.

Thursday finally came and Sansa nervously stepped into the café. She scanned the crowd, but the fireman wasn't visible in his usual place at the far corner booth. Surprised at her own disappointment, Sansa quickly stepped toward her booth and took a seat. Sticking to her healthy meal plan, Sansa ordered an egg-white omelet with a side of fresh fruit and a cup of green tea. She didn't particularly like the taste of green tea, but it was supposed to cleanse and detoxify the system.

Halfway through her meal, Sansa speared a chunk of cantaloupe on her fork. The piece of fruit almost made it to her mouth when she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. She glanced up at the tall divider wall between her booth and the ones on the other side. Thick fingertips drifted over the top of the wood rail. Between those fingers was a small piece of paper. Sansa watched as it dropped onto her table.

Setting her fork down, Sansa picked up the piece of paper. It was a coupon for $2.00 off one of those frozen chocolate desserts you could buy at the grocery store. Sansa bit her lip and grinned as though she'd finally gotten that Malibu Barbie she'd begged Santa Claus for all those years ago. She quickly turned her attention to the cash register.

And there he was, hastily snatching his receipt from the cashier as he bolted out the door, head down and cheeks aflame.

* * *

_Screw it!_ Sansa thought.

The chocolate cake she'd bought with the coupon had been delicious. Life was too short to always eat healthy. Thursday, she decided, would be her day to treat herself to whatever she wanted, calories and diet be damned. She could eat sensibly the rest of the week, but on Thursdays she would allow herself to indulge a little.

So today when the waitress approached her, Sansa ordered the biscuits with sausage gravy and a Boston cooler. Before the waitress departed, she added one more thing to her order.

"Could you please bring a piece of chocolate cake to the fireman?" she asked. The waitress winked at Sansa with a conspiratorial smile and went to put in the order.

Sansa waited with baited breath when it came time for the fireman to leave. Instead of his Oxford shirt and jacket, he wore only a navy blue t-shirt emblazoned with the fire shield logo. The t-shirt was form-fitting but not too tight, accentuating his muscular physique and large frame. Sansa sighed deeply. He was something very nice to look at.

The fireman kept his back to her as he paid his bill. Before pushing the door open to leave, he hesitated. Quickly, he turned around to face Sansa. He crossed his eyes and puffed out his cheeks as he patted his belly in a comical gesture indicating that he'd eaten too much. Sansa shyly turned her head down as she giggled. When she looked up again, he was gone.

* * *

Since the fireman only came to the café on Thursdays, Sansa anxiously looked forward to that day. Every week she received a different coupon, and they always came to her in a different way.

One week, Sansa arrived at her booth to find a coupon waiting for her on her placemat. Another was folded into a paper airplane and caught in her hair as it sailed across the café. And on one occasion, her coupon was delivered by the waitress with her meal.

There was even a day when she'd been disappointed as the fireman paid for his meal and left without leaving her a coupon. But when Sansa paid for her own meal before heading back to work, the coupon was delivered with her receipt and change.

The coupons took her to places she might never have gone on her own, never thought of, or thought she had no reason to visit. At the Toy Box, she used her coupon to buy a mini bobble-head figure of a Dalmatian dressed up as a fireman. Sansa made sure it was prominently displayed on her table in the café the following Thursday.

Sansa had always wanted to go to the Natural History Museum, but never quite had the time. So when she received a coupon for a "Free Friday," she stopped making excuses and finally went. In the museum gift shop, Sansa purchased two dinosaur skeleton fridge magnets. She made sure one of them was given to the fireman with the change from his meal.

The Thursday after she'd used her coupon to attend a Pixar Shorts Film Festival, Sansa wore her exclusive movie memorabilia t-shirt to lunch.

And every Thursday, the fireman was there, smiling shyly at her before he left.

* * *

"So ... tell me, what's his name?" Catelyn asked.

Sansa shrugged. "I don't know. He's a fireman and he's been burned but he's still very handsome." Sansa picked at her Caesar salad.

"And he buys you gifts?" her mother inquired.

"No, Mom," Sansa said with a toss of her head. "He gives me coupons and I use them."

"Coupons?" Catelyn sneered as her eyebrow cranked halfway up her forehead. "For what - like a free hug or something?" she asked suspiciously.

Sansa laughed. "No, Mom." She thought for a moment on how to explain it, but decided it would be easier to tell her mother the whole story from the beginning.

"... And because of those coupons, I've gone to places I never would have considered before. I'm trying new things and having new experiences, and I'm doing it on my own. It's making me comfortable with myself again." Sansa looked up at her mother imploringly. "It's like he knows somehow."

"Like he knows what?" Catelyn asked.

"It's like he knows what I needed in my life. Like he knows that it's making me feel better about myself."

"And he's never talked to you?"

Sansa shook her head.

"Have you tried talking to him?" her mother asked.

Again, Sansa shook her head. "I'm not sure what to do. I kinda like him. He's cute, he's sweet." Sansa suddenly remembered his antics after the chocolate cake. "He's funny," Sansa added mimicking the face he'd made. "But I don't know anything about him. For all I know he's married. Maybe that's why he hasn't spoken to me.”

“Do you know which station he works at?” Catelyn asked.

“The only thing I know about him is that he’s here every Thursday."

Catelyn tapped a manicured nail on the tabletop. "You know ... the women's auxiliary helps put together that sexy fireman's calendar every year. I know someone on the committee. If I ask around, I'm sure someone would know who he is. There can't be anyone else who looks like him."

Sansa sighed. This could be tricky business. She didn't want to pry into this man's personal life and then be disappointed. Or worse yet, he might find out that she was asking about him and get frightened off. But she had to say or do something.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that Sansa was starting to develop feelings for him. Before it went any further, she had to know one way or the other. Sansa didn't want to get too wrapped up in him only to find out that he was married or otherwise off the market and end up having her emotions pulled through a shredder.

As Thursday drew closer, Sansa vowed to initiate direct contact.

* * *

Thursday finally came, but when she saw him, Sansa lost her nerve … again. She'd had big plans to walk right over to his table and say hello, but her courage was only in her imagination. Sansa felt spineless. Worse, she felt like she was sixteen again, in high school, awkward and afraid. She slipped into her regular booth, pulled the menu out of the salt and pepper holder and opened it. Inside the menu was an envelope.

Sansa wouldn’t have been able to wipe the grin off her face with a jackhammer. Ignoring the menu, she carefully ripped open the envelope and removed a tri-fold piece of paper. It was a flyer announcing a festival of sorts.

**Saturday, July 12 th \- Come out to the Roscoe Village Safety Fair!**

**Cheer on Chicago's finest Emergency Service Workers**

**as they compete in games of strength, speed, and skill.**

**Firefighters vs EMTs vs Police**

**Fun and games for kids of all ages!**

**_** Present this flyer at the Smoke Shack and receive a FREE detection device_ **

**_(smoke, radon, or carbon monoxide detectors available)_ **

As she sat reading the details on the flyer, Sansa glanced up to see the fireman watching her. She smiled brightly at him and he smiled back. He sucked in a breath and held it as he checked his watch. He nodded, his smile even wider, and turned to leave.

_It's now or never_ , Sansa thought. She slid out of the booth and went after him. As she came out the door, Sansa caught a glimpse of him as he disappeared around the corner of the small brick building. She walked quickly to catch up. As she rounded the corner, the fireman was already dodging traffic to cross the street. On the other side, a woman and two small children were on their way to meet him. A boy and girl - Sansa guessed they were six and eight - jumped excitedly and ran into his arms when he reached the opposite sidewalk. He lifted them one in each arm and swung them around. As he turned to set them back on the ground, the fireman looked up and noticed Sansa watching. He immediately stood straight, a pleasant expression on his face. Sansa’s gaze flicked toward the woman. Her forehead creased dramatically as her lips formed the words “Who’s she?” The fireman began to lift his hand in a friendly wave, but Sansa turned and fled back into the café.

She was so embarrassed. He was married with children, she'd woven a web of fantasy around him, and he’d toyed with her emotions giving her false hope. Why did men always do this? And why did they do this _to her_ _??_ A painful lump blocked Sansa's throat as tears filled her eyelids and spilled over. When she noticed the waitress approaching to take her order, Sansa hastily dabbed at her eyes and stiffened her posture. Knowing she wouldn't be able to eat, Sansa ordered only an iced tea. She sipped on it, biding her time until she needed to head back to work.

* * *

"I couldn't find out anything," Catelyn declared. "If he's a fireman, he's not from this end of the city." Sansa's mother waved her freshly manicured hand in the air dramatically. "And you know me. I asked everyone."

Sansa shook her head dejectedly. "It doesn't matter." She poked a quickly wilting salad leaf on her plate then looked up with a shrug. "He's married with kids."

"Oh, Abigail. Are you sure?"

Sansa nodded. "Pretty sure." She explained the details of her encounter the previous week.

Catelyn sagged. "Aww, Honey. That doesn't mean he's married. For all you know that could have been his sister and those kids were his niece and nephew. I doubt very much that he would have waved at you in front of his wife." Catelyn patted Sansa on the arm. "Just wait and see what happens next Thursday. If he's guilty of being a player, you'll know as soon as you see him." Catelyn shook her salad fork at Sansa. "But if he's not ..." She sashayed her shoulders suggestively and arched her eyebrows high.

* * *

No matter what happened today, Sansa was determined not to be frightened away from her café. She wasn't going to scuttle off to some other café just because he was a jerk. If anyone was going to scuttle, it should be him.

Squaring her shoulders and lifting her head high, Sansa opened the door to the diner. He was there, sitting in his usual place near the rear corner, back to the rest of the crowd. Sansa slipped into her booth and opened the menu. For the second week in a row, there was an envelope inside it. Sansa bit her lip and debated whether to open it.

She couldn't help herself. Based on the pounding in her chest, curiosity was about to give her a full on heart attack if she didn't find out what was inside it and quickly. Sansa carefully sliced it open. Inside was a folded piece of paper. Sansa opened it and two large tickets fell out. They were tickets to the Fireman's Ball taking place two weeks from tomorrow. On the folded paper was a handwritten note. The penmanship was neat and artistic.

**_Hello,_ **

**_I hope I didn't frighten you off. It would break my heart if I have._ **

**_Every Friday, I drive in from Kenwood Village to pick up my children. They are Jackson, who's 5 and Claudia who is 8. They live here in Roscoe with their mother during the week. I meet them here and take them home for the weekend. The first time I saw you, Friday was a holiday. I picked up the kids on Thursday so that their mother could have a long weekend away with her new boyfriend. Now, I make two trips a week so that I can see you every Thursday - except last week when Friday was a holiday again._ **

**_The reason I still come on Thursdays is because my job, as I'm sure you know, is often a difficult one. I don't like to come from work and see my kids when there is tragedy on my mind. When I see you, all that seems to go away, I feel at peace again, and I am more relaxed with my children._ **

**_I suppose I could just come on Fridays and see you before I pick up the kids, but it was a Thursday the first time I saw you. I have come to think of Thursdays as our day. I hope that’s not too presumptuous of me._ **

**_My children are the reason I have the coupons. Claudia wanted to plant flowers in my yard and the chocolate ice cream cake was for Jack's birthday. I'm sure you understand the rest - toy stores, movies, and museums - I always like to do something special with my children. I'd like to do something special with you, too._ **

**_I would be honored if you would accompany me to the Fireman's Ball. I still don't know your name, but now you know mine._ **

**_Sandor Clegane_ **

**_P.S. Please bring both tickets or you'll be attending alone. (Not kidding. Even I can't get in without a ticket!)_ **

* * *

Sansa felt a painful pinch inside her chest. She had been foolish and quick to jump to conclusions. But even Sandor had been able to presume what she'd been thinking when she'd seen him with his kids and ex-wife. _Ex-wife_ , she admonished herself. Sandor had been level-headed and reasonable knowing how it must have looked to her. That was exactly the kind of man she'd always wanted in her life.

Sansa re-read the letter and chuckled at the thought of him being concerned that she'd show up with only one ticket.

Suddenly aware that she was being watched, Sansa looked up to see Sandor Clegane of the Chicago FD, watching her intently. She felt her face glowing neon red with embarrassment, shyness, excitement, and an entire range of emotions she couldn't identify. When she saw the shy, hopeful smile on his face, Sansa couldn't hold back the corners of her mouth from spreading wide.

Today he was wearing his Oxford shirt and uniform jacket. In his hands he nervously edged the brim of his official dress cap. It was the first time Sansa had seen him with it. He looked confident and handsome as he waited for her to acknowledge him.

_Is that a yes?_ his expression asked. He nodded hesitantly raising his one good eyebrow. Sansa's heart gave a massive thump. She nodded assertively, smiling grandly. Sandor let out a puff of air and stepped toward her.

"Hello," he said. His voice was deep and soft.

"Hi, I'm Sansa."

"It's nice to finally meet you, Sansa." He set his cap on the table and slipped into the booth across from her to join her for lunch.

**_The End_ **


End file.
